Capítulo 29: chapter-29 eating a pile of ice cubes
The navy officer in charge of recording statistics trembled as he jotted down Loya's results with a shaky hand.
Zefa fell silent, staring blankly at the figure on the screen before letting out a bitter smile. "Kuzan, tell me, when Loya joins the elite camp, what should I even teach him?"
"Teacher Zefa..."
Kuzan understood what Zefa was thinking. He had personally witnessed Roja's incredible rate of growth. Gently, he tried to reassure him. "At least, Loya's melee skills are still lacking, and he doesn't know how to use Haki."
Zefa had taught countless disciples in his life, including the current three admirals of the Navy. In his youth, before the tragedy that had hardened him, he would have been thrilled to have a talented disciple like Loya. But now, with age and weariness weighing on him, seeing someone as monstrous in potential as Loya only made him feel exhausted. After all, he had watched Loya grow, bit by bit, and facing such a prodigy now left him feeling powerless.
Kuzan wasn't great at comforting people, and his attempt at reassurance had the opposite effect, making Zefa feel even more despondent.
"Ugh... Considering his performance under your command this month, I fear he'll surpass me in no time! By the way, how old is Loya now?"
"Twenty-five. He doesn't look it, but he is."
Hearing this, Zefa let out a sigh of relief. "That's not too bad. I remember you also became a vice-admiral at 25."
"To be exact, I was 26," Kuzan corrected. "The following year, I participated in the 'Buster Call' operation that destroyed O'Hara. That event is well documented, Teacher Zefa."
Zefa: "..."
"I really can't hold a conversation today."
---
After eating a pile of ice cubes, Loya finally felt his strength returning. Brushing the dirt off his pants, he stretched his sore limbs and approached the body of the Great Silverback Ape.
The once vibrant forest was now a desolate battlefield. Everything around had been razed to the ground, with creatures fleeing in terror from the earlier clash. A few unlucky animals that hadn't escaped in time stood frozen, their ice-encased forms glistening in the sunlight, like living statues.
Loya gazed at the corpse of the Great Silverback Ape, lost in thought. This was his first experience with such a scene. The ape had fought with unyielding resolve, never losing the will to battle, even knowing it would die. At that moment, Loya felt that his opponent wasn't just an animal—it was a true warrior.
That's why he had spoken to it with such respect.
A warm sea breeze ruffled his hair. Loya spread his arms, and two massive wings of ice, dozens of meters long, formed. With a brief pause, he moved toward the ape's body.
"Ice Dragon's Wing Strike!"
This wasn't an attack to defile the corpse but rather to give it a burial.
Boom!
The powerful ice wings struck the ground, blowing away the thick layer of ice and exposing the soft earth below. The wings, like sharp blades, cut deep into the soil, throwing tons of dirt aside. The Great Silverback Ape's corpse tilted and fell into the pit. Loya then used the ice wings to roll up the earth, burying the ape once more.
"Ice-Make: Ice Coffin!"
Loya brought his hands together, instantly forming a massive block of ice that sealed the burial site, freezing the land around it to ward off scavengers.
Once done, Loya lowered his hands and stood in silence, paying his respects. He clutched his wound and turned to leave, his steps resolute.
In burying the Great Silverback Ape, he also laid to rest a piece of his former, weaker self. He knew he would face more moments like this in the future. The ape's death was a stark reminder that in this world, death was closer to him than ever before.
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder